An Update on Richie Rude & Jared Graves' Failed EWS Drug Test
Red Bull Content Pool / Dave Trumpore
With the EWS season fast approaching, many of us have been expecting to hear the final verdict on Richie Rude and Jared Graves' failed drug test. Well today isn’t that day, but there have been some developments in the background, and we’ve got some answers for you.
Will Richie Rude be racing in Rotorua?
This is the question many athletes have been asking, with mixed feelings all around.
He can technically race until an official verdict is handed down. He and Jared raced the second half of the 2018 season after being informed of the positive test, because the substances they tested positive for are in the "specified" category, which allowed them to avoid provisional suspension. Although they publicly confirmed their positive tests to us last November, nothing has changed with his eligibility to race.
In an email sent to riders this morning, the EWS clarified that it is "100% removed from all anti-doping cases" to maintain impartiality and neutrality and will not impose any sanctions or take any steps until an official ruling by AFLD has been made.
 | We are increasingly asked if riders under investigation will be allowed to race in our series, and the answer is yes. Why? Because regardless of your or our personal opinions, the EWS makes all decisions based on fact and evidence and therefore until a formal decision is reached by the ruling party in the case, we have no official information to follow. It is by following due process, and treating all cases in the same way, that we maintain the sport’s legitimacy in the long term. We will never treat any case any differently to another. This is not showing any sympathy towards those in question, it is simply to maintain athlete rights and the high ethical standards we believe our sport deserves and each one of you would expect should you find yourselves in a similar situation. While a case remains open and we have no notifications of any mandatory suspensions on any riders, the only way a rider will not take the start of an EWS is if they impose a voluntary ban on themselves. The EWS will respect any decisions reached by the parties in question until an official decision is made by the agency who carried out the tests. |
Despite being able to race, Richie informed us that he won’t be racing at the start of this season. A recent Instagram post was also tagged with #notrotorua.
What about Jared?
Jared is undergoing treatment for cancer. We wish him the best in his recovery!
Do we know where the banned substances came from yet?
No. The riders claim their ingestion was accidental, but it’s unclear if it was on a labeled supplement or something else. Their shared supplement sponsor Ryno Power denies ever having either of those substances in any of their products.
After our original story broke, photos emerged from a 2016 Vital MTB photo-set in Chile with Graves taking ‘PEScience Alphamine,’ which contains (or contained) higenamine. Higenamine wasn't specifically named as a banned substance by WADA in 2016, but it is a beta 2 agonist, which were (and still are) banned. It's possible he was still using that supplement in 2018.
Several sources have suggested that the banned substances were in a water bottle that Jared shared with Richie at that race. Both racers were advised by their lawyer not to speculate on how they ingested the substances, so these reports are unconfirmed.
The letter of the law doesn't distinguish intent versus accidental ingestion—so if it was a friend’s water bottle, or they didn’t read labels, it may not matter. Whether it affects their potential sanctions isn’t clear.
No. The riders claim their ingestion was accidental, but it’s unclear if it was on a labeled supplement or something else. Their shared supplement sponsor Ryno Power denies ever having either of those substances in any of their products.
After our original story broke, photos emerged from a 2016 Vital MTB photo-set in Chile with Graves taking ‘PEScience Alphamine,’ which contains (or contained) higenamine. Higenamine wasn't specifically named as a banned substance by WADA in 2016, but it is a beta 2 agonist, which were (and still are) banned. It's possible he was still using that supplement in 2018.
Several sources have suggested that the banned substances were in a water bottle that Jared shared with Richie at that race. Both racers were advised by their lawyer not to speculate on how they ingested the substances, so these reports are unconfirmed.
The letter of the law doesn't distinguish intent versus accidental ingestion—so if it was a friend’s water bottle, or they didn’t read labels, it may not matter. Whether it affects their potential sanctions isn’t clear.
When will we get a verdict from the FFC/AFLD?
No comment from them yet. Sources suggest it’s unlikely to get resolved before Q2 2019.
| As with all pending cases, and to respect the integrity of the proceedings, AFLD is not able to comment on any aspect of these cases. |
Update: the AFLD is making changes to adopt full WADA guidelines, which may be contributing to a longer-than-normal process in this case.
Was there any sponsor fallout?
It appears neither Jared nor Richie have lost any major sponsors regarding this situation. Richie is still on Red Bull and Yeti, and Jared is still on Monster and Specialized. Jared’s contract with Specialized was over last year, but they recently announced an extended deal while he undergoes cancer treatment. It's possible the situation has affected team sponsorships, as brands aren't sure if or when they'll be able to race again.
| We stand by Jared in that fight and wish him a quick recovery. Jared is still a team member, with an extended contract for the season, whether or not he straps on a number plate in 2019. Jared has our support. |
What kind of sanction will Richie & Jared receive?
Nobody knows, this is uncharted territory. The US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) has sanctions for Higenamine ranging from nine months to four years and two cases of Oxilofrine abuse, one with a six-month sanction and one with 18 months.
It's assumed that that their results from the race will be erased, and Richie Rude will be stripped of the win from EWS Olargues, making Adrien Dailly the winner and causing some pencil sharpening as the series has to recalculate some overall points.
However, there are more variables at play in this situation: the presence of 2 substances, the apparent bottle sharing, and that they were competing under a different ruleset. There may be EWS sanctions on top of UCI sanctions—we’ll address some of those complexities in another story.
Full Letter from the EWS to Athletes
"I write to you as a member of the Enduro World Series (EWS) or a Team Manager of an Official EWS Team.
As we reach the final days before the 2019 season begins I’m acutely aware that the anti-doping case that hit the headlines in 2018 still remains a question for all of you. I therefore feel you deserve some information on the position of the EWS on this matter.
I am aware that there is anger and upset among the riders that the situation is not resolved. Although I understand your frustration, and your feelings too, this do not change the position of the EWS, which is bound by anti-doping regulations, legal due process and athlete rights.
The key aspect of this situation is that the EWS is 100% removed from all anti-doping cases. As it should be. We hosted the French Anti Doping Agency (AFLD) to carry out their own tests in Olargues in 2018 and we will work with any findings they formally reach following those tests. But, the details of all open cases remain entirely confidential and between only two parties; the riders who were tested, and the agency that tested them. Therefore, we have as little insight and influence on the case as you do. This may seem strange, but it is correct, both ethically and legally and must be like this in order to maintain complete impartiality and neutrality during all anti-doping investigations in all sport, from the Olympics right down to EWS. We await a formal decision as much as you do. And we will not be able to determine any steps until that decision has been made, in this case by the AFLD.
We are increasingly asked if riders under investigation will be allowed to race in our series, and the answer is yes. Why? Because regardless of your or our personal opinions, the EWS makes all decisions based on fact and evidence and therefore until a formal decision is reached by the ruling party in the case, we have no official information to follow. It is by following due process, and treating all cases in the same way, that we maintain the sport’s legitimacy in the long term. We will never treat any case any differently to another. This is not showing any sympathy towards those in question, it is simply to maintain athlete rights and the high ethical standards we believe our sport deserves and each one of you would expect should you find yourselves in a similar situation.
While a case remains open and we have no notifications of any mandatory suspensions on any riders, the only way a rider will not take the start of an EWS is if they impose a voluntary ban on themselves. The EWS will respect any decisions reached by the parties in question until an official decision is made by the agency who carried out the tests.
We truly understand you're upset and understand this is an emotive topic for us all, but during these times I ask only that both the riders under investigation, and all other riders in our sport respect each other, and, like the EWS, respect the formal processes in place."
"I write to you as a member of the Enduro World Series (EWS) or a Team Manager of an Official EWS Team.
As we reach the final days before the 2019 season begins I’m acutely aware that the anti-doping case that hit the headlines in 2018 still remains a question for all of you. I therefore feel you deserve some information on the position of the EWS on this matter.
I am aware that there is anger and upset among the riders that the situation is not resolved. Although I understand your frustration, and your feelings too, this do not change the position of the EWS, which is bound by anti-doping regulations, legal due process and athlete rights.
The key aspect of this situation is that the EWS is 100% removed from all anti-doping cases. As it should be. We hosted the French Anti Doping Agency (AFLD) to carry out their own tests in Olargues in 2018 and we will work with any findings they formally reach following those tests. But, the details of all open cases remain entirely confidential and between only two parties; the riders who were tested, and the agency that tested them. Therefore, we have as little insight and influence on the case as you do. This may seem strange, but it is correct, both ethically and legally and must be like this in order to maintain complete impartiality and neutrality during all anti-doping investigations in all sport, from the Olympics right down to EWS. We await a formal decision as much as you do. And we will not be able to determine any steps until that decision has been made, in this case by the AFLD.
We are increasingly asked if riders under investigation will be allowed to race in our series, and the answer is yes. Why? Because regardless of your or our personal opinions, the EWS makes all decisions based on fact and evidence and therefore until a formal decision is reached by the ruling party in the case, we have no official information to follow. It is by following due process, and treating all cases in the same way, that we maintain the sport’s legitimacy in the long term. We will never treat any case any differently to another. This is not showing any sympathy towards those in question, it is simply to maintain athlete rights and the high ethical standards we believe our sport deserves and each one of you would expect should you find yourselves in a similar situation.
While a case remains open and we have no notifications of any mandatory suspensions on any riders, the only way a rider will not take the start of an EWS is if they impose a voluntary ban on themselves. The EWS will respect any decisions reached by the parties in question until an official decision is made by the agency who carried out the tests.
We truly understand you're upset and understand this is an emotive topic for us all, but during these times I ask only that both the riders under investigation, and all other riders in our sport respect each other, and, like the EWS, respect the formal processes in place."
Previously:
• Exclusive: Richie Rude & Jared Graves Failed Drug Test at EWS France
• Interview: Jared Graves Comments on Failed Drug Test
• Interview: Richie Rude Comments on Failed Drug Test
• Higenamine & Oxilofrine: What Are the Banned Substances that Jared Graves & Richie Rude Tested Positive For?
Author Info:
Must Read This Week
Right...
2 guys,1dropper post,0 saddle is insane too
This is nothing New! Now they are just getting caught with the implementation of wada
and yes, most professional athletes dope.
Doping's a weird thing. Most everyone hates Lance. But Jon Jones is still fighting...?
#sorelosers
For others reading this that might not be as familiar just keep in mind the suspension date is effective from the last day they raced professionally even if it was in a series not governed by WADA. This prevents them from earning a living which is a big problem for the riders without big sponsor contracts. They cant just race in other series for 2 years and come back. They cant do any sort of riding.
I think we live in a culture where everyone has to be perfect and spotless and if you make a mistake/do or say something in poor taste or judgement, it completely erases everything good that you have ever done(don't get me wrong though, these come with their own consequences). Jared and Richie are great athletes, pretty cool humans(from what I can tell from videos and following their careers, I have never met them and only know them from a distance) but they both made mistakes/ cheated, label it how you will and both will face the consequences for what they have done. I would hope that when they have made recompense for violating rules (whether intentionally or unintentionally) that we will allow them to rebuild the trust or a relationship that may have been damaged and hopefully that through it all they and we can learn and grow collectively.
It seems that for some, Jared and Richie might as well be puppy murderers and there is no place in hell suitable for the crimes they have committed and that they have destroyed the sanctity of the sport and made the playing field uneven. To this I say, sport is already uneven, some are born with more talent, some have more money, some live in better locations, some have the advantage of starting at a young age, some are harder workers, some have better sponsors with better technology, its competition and I agree that performance enhancing drugs are not great for the sport and I support having a governing body that ensures testing but at the end of the day there is no such thing (in my mind) as a level playing field.
As a final note, I would like to add that my opinion defines me and how dare you bring up any contradicting points or criticize the logic in my arguments, I will go to every length possible to disprove your comments by attacking you at a personal level and claim you know nothing because you're clearly a 29er riding rigid suspension loving, road biking, anti-mountainbiking ne'er do well.
Just kidding, I do not know everything and my opinion is merely an opinion and subject to change as I continue to read through some of the better informed comments!
Go ride bikes!
I love Richie and Jared and all the top guys racing. I really don't care much, because my love for mountain biking is bigger, than idea of fairness, which is a very blurry concept. Subject to relativity. I fear people who look at things in black and white. We all love hero stories. I for instance love the story of Lance, I saw him few times on live TV and will love the dude no matter what, for those stories that were written with him in the spotlight. A guy riding without his team half of the race, Ulrichs team partners catching up, and Lance is having none of it. They are getting strategic advantage, he will not wait for them to regenerate and then pull the tired Ulrich... so he stands on pedals and drops everyone else in the escape party, charging like a freaking bull - they can't catch him, he's winning. We won't see much of that in the future. What we see now is poliferation of cold calculation, looking at power meter instead of the road.
I've been to the void and I've seen people who pretend to look for the truth. In search of fairness they were taught to be the virtue, they lost the vision of the truth, happyness in life, the pursuit of fairness, battle readiness to put down any attack, any accusation has blinded their ability to enjoy life. Because if you want to find truth you need to go into dungeons where sun doesn't reach. Gold is there to be found, but some are just greedy... and then the void consumes them. In fight with the monsters, they become monsters themselves. Then too often monsters are just windmills...
So well... sex is a nice concept and porn shows it greatly (truth), that's why you watch it (truth) and masturbate(truth) but then your parents did it (truth) and if you watch a bad amateur porn, it is highly possible that it is how you came to be (truth) it's just that it was even shorter (truth). Your dad is highly possibly not James Deen (truth) who is similar to Jared Graves and so the story ends.
He was okay with posting a photo of a thermogenic.. Keep it natural right just training and the gym?
This isn't even a close comparison to roadies like Lance Armstrong, even the WADA acknowledges this by having a separate category of 'specified' substances.
www.vitalmtb.com/forums/The-Hub,2/EWS-Doping-Thread-Removal,10326?page=5
Most nakedest man in MTB.
He is pretty funny. And so cheeky...in more ways that one.
m.youtube.com/watch?v=IYkIH9U-GmM
Hang in, is it BMX where they have it written into the rules that the women are not allowed to hit that jump?
Secondly....there are two industries absolutely guilty of spiking products without disclosure, in order to gain an edge over THEIR competitors...the Human supplement biz and the Cannabis Growing supplement biz. Those companies don't give two shits about the consumer...they want your money. It's a multi billion dollar industry, both of them. They get caught, they pay a fine, they give zero f*cks(said companies).
Now some companies have adultered their products but is not major players and when major players have adultered their products they typically do something like use a synthetic form of a compound (USPLabs DMAA) or lie about having a special variation of a compound (BSN CEM3). There have been some supplement companies in the past that blantantly just lie and include illegal compounds like steriods in their product but they say its an analog or precursor and they are small companies.
Now what i have seen is many people trying to blame supplement companies for illegal compounds which aren't there. I have first hand seen several people blame my previous employers products for drug tests resulting in positive steroid results, when they most definitely aren't in it.
Not guilty until it has been proven, so he can still ride, he's allowed.
Now let's see if some spectators will wear a syringe costume on the side of the EWS stage
As to doping in general cycling is just silly for pretending they are fighting it harder than other sports. In NFL, NBA, Football very few give a sht. Or it is the case of these sports pumping more money into covering up the thing
Beckham, Rossi, Senna, McEnroe. Skills plus personality. Maybe not personality but charisma, the star quality.
Froome could quote Bane from fight with Batman: you fight like a young man, all out, nothing left. It is admirable... but mistaken.
Did you miss that?
And doping or not, he had to have balls to try that.
https://selfhacked.com/blog/higenamine/
"Given orally, higenamine is rapidly absorbed and reaches peak levels in the blood after 10 minutes....Higenamine lasts in blood circulation for about 8 minutes, and nearly all higenamine is eliminated from the body within 30 minutes"
Per doping charge it’s 6months>4years some media have explained so be lucky to have a reduced 1year ban but expect 18month>2years
I actually wasn't until I read this. #hookedonphonics
Full disclosure, my grammar game will run out shortly...
"Although I understand your frustration, and your feelings too, *this do* not change the position of the EWS ..."
Whatever he was on, I want some!
SHOULD we speculate?
.....
Are you tired of not getting raging hardon’s?
Do you want to ride like Ritchie Rude?
Try our new Alphamine Express!!!!!
If I was him I could see reason to not go to the first even of the season thats also connected to the PRO's disneyland known as CRANKWORX....
Lots of pressure for interviews and what not cant imagine it would feel good going there to race with so much pent up coverage wants from all the websites and media outlets.
www.amazon.com/Physique-Enhancing-Science-Alphamine-Supplement/dp/B00HG14OJE
Jared its on crack or what???
Can see now how joining UCI was the right thing for the athletes, viewers and sponsors.
I was open for testing and was tested back in the day as an amateur and I remember getting a bad chest infection .
I was prescribed an inhaler, I asked the doctor right there and then can they check if it was ok for sport , they told me in two minutes that it would fail a piss test. Then they give me loads of other options to proceed with! I was 16 and was worried failing a test and I wasn’t on some mega sponsored deal so I have a hard time believing theses boys!
That said if they is money to be made and no testing in place opportunists will prevale
In this case - AFLD caught Rude and Graves. Looks like they didn't need to test teh whole field to catch some cheaters.
They're both first timers? That is literally the weakest excuse i've heard in this stupid case. In your world muggers get off scot free if it's their 'first time'?
EWS doesn't want to handle the doping because it's god damn expensive. And the local federations are all better at it than a race organiser.
Every single organization has a first timers discipline level. So, it's not like this is alien. They can literally just consider them both suspended from the time of the test last year through to the first race of this year. That's a 6 month suspension. Lose all your results.
The reality is that they have not got their crap together as an organization. They don't want to deal with it and don't know how to deal with it right now. Not disciplining them sends a bad message but you also can't just make an example out of them for the sake of making an example. You'll just end up with another Lance Armstrong situation. Where everyone knows that everyone is freaking doing the same damn thing but one guy is getting tested more than everyone else and then everyone zero's in on that one person. All the while, their competition is still doing it. So it really does nothing to stop the problem.
Baseball is a great example. They zoned in on the big guys because it was obvious. So those guys are getting slammed while dudes coming up through the minors are juicing to the gills to try to get their shot. Damaging their health and their future while not being properly tested. Dudes are doing this crap all the damned time in all sports. Juice. Get paid. Get caught... oh well. Retire.
I don't want to see that happen in EWS. There is a correct way to do this. They have now officially caught 2 super stars. Suspend them. Then lay the ground work on how you're going to test EVERYONE the same amount of times randomly throughout the year. That way you're not saddled with having to test everyone at every event. But at least everyone knows they can get tested at any point in time at any event. Or after every event.
This is a unique situation. Saying they're both first timers is not an excuse. It's reality. Have they failed test before? You just said it's been in place since day 1. Ever failed? Interesting that they both failed on the same shit. Seems to support what they're saying. Comparing this to muggers is the weakest thing I've read today. LOL.
Hell first time muggers and first time murderers... same damn thing. Give em both life. Right. Same same. You stole a candy bar... ah damn... go to jail with that dude that just robbed a bank using an AR15. Same same.
This is why this becomes the type of issue it does. People just need to use common sense.
It's so stupid.
A fair penalty in this case would be Graves to get a 1-3 race penalty and an economic penalty, and strictly a monetary penalty to Rude if all he really did was borrow a drink from his buddy when he ran out himself.
Banned forever! see Ya!
It’s all about the marginal gains within the rules or sitting on the edge of the rules.